There is nothing more frustrating to a parent than trying to hold and steady her infant with one hand while at the same time trying to open up a moist tissue dispenser and pull out the tissues with the other hand. This is not only awkward and aggravating, but sometimes is impossible to accomplish due to the construction of the moist tissue dispenser.
It is better for both the parent and the infant if the parent can simply and easily open up a moist tissue dispenser with one hand and also pull out subsequent tissues with only one hand. For the parent, aggravation and frustration are greatly reduced if the moist tissue can be retrieved from the dispenser while the parent is performing the delicate balancing act of holding the child, opening the dispenser, pulling out a moist tissue, cleaning the child, closing the dispenser, and then reopening the dispenser and pulling out another tissue, and possibly even repeating these steps as necessary. For the child, if the parent can open the dispenser and retrieve the moist tissue with only one hand, safety is increased since the parent can use the other hand to hold and steady the child so the child is less likely to crawl off a changing table or slip from the arms of the parent.
There is, however, something beyond fumbling to both open a moist tissue dispenser and pull out a tissue with only one hand while holding a child with the other hand which is also a cause of frustration. That further source of difficulty is the cost of buying the reusable, refillable moist tissue dispenser and subsequent refill packs. To this end, the parent typically must first buy a reusable moist tissues container, which can be quite expensive since they are made from a sturdy, hard plastic so as to be sufficiently durable. Then, after using up the initial supply of moist tissues which are usually provided with the reusable container, the parent must then purchase separate disposable refill packs. Moreover, to add to the frustration, the parent is oftentimes forced to buy replacement reusable containers when the top to the original container is lost, or the hinges break off, or when it accidentally becomes a chew toy for the family pet.
Frustration and anger can peak when the parent is performing the difficult and thankless task of changing the child and the last moist tissue in the dispenser is used up while more tissues are still required. In this case, a refill pack must be retrieved, the reusable container has to be opened, the packaging for the refill pack must be removed, and the dispenser must be refilled. If the dispenser provides for pop-up dispensing, the pop-up aperture, usually provided in a separate tray member, must also be threaded with the first tissue after the tray member is placed over the stack of tissues. No one should be placed in such annoying and frustrating dispensing situations, particularly parents who, after working a full day, are tired, stressed-out, over-worked, and are raising their families on a limited budget.
Parents and other consumers over the years have been provided with a multitude of so-called "improved" dispensers which, nevertheless, have provided little relief from the above dispenser-related problems. For instance, Nukamura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,575, discloses a resealable container for dispensing wet tissues which includes a container body and a separate tray member provided between the wet tissues and the top surface of the container. The container is formed from a flexible film and the tray member is made of a material which is relatively harder than the material of the container. Similarly, Dailey III, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,064, discloses a flexible container with a semi-rigid insert located within the container to provide structural reinforcement to the packet. These container arrangements are costly to manufacture since they provide inner trays that must be not only be separately formed, but which also must be placed within the container. The extra manufacturing steps lead to increased costs which are ultimately passed on to the consumer.
Sussman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,317, provides a self-sealing dispenser pack for pre-moistened towelettes in which a separate package of replaceable pre-moistened towelettes is contained with in the dispenser. The dispenser is intended to be re-usable and not disposable. The rigid container, molded from resilient plastic, includes a recessed cavity which is accessed by opening a resilient sheet lid. The resilient lid is also preferably formed of plastic material and has the same dimensions as the recessed cavity therebelow such that it can sealingly fit, by interference holding, with the area defined by the riser walls of the cavity. The unsecured or free end of the lid is provided with a tab that is held in place within a recessed area which can accommodate a finger to facilitate the lifting of the tab from the recess. The construction of this dispenser pack is also rather complicated, since the resilient lid must not only be formed with the proper dimensions to fit snugly within the riser walls and tab recess area, but it must also be attached to the container itself, for instance by heat sealing. Furthermore, since this container is formed from resilient plastic material and is reusable, it is also more expensive to manufacture as compared to disposable containers made of thinner, semi-rigid or soft plastic material.
Fitzpatrick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,908, discloses a container for dispensing moist sheets which includes a semi-rigid or rigid container produced by molding or vacuum forming of a suitable plastic such as polypropylene. However, a separate top member is provided comprising an insert which is snapped within the container below the rim of the insert. The insert itself includes depending rib members and is stabilized upon posts provided within the box. This container also requires a separate hinged cover in order to provide a space between the insert and the cover to accommodate the end of the next available wet tissue. Similar to the above-described containers, this container is also expensive to manufacture given not only the need to provided separate plastic pieces, but also because of the relative complexity of the snap-fit insert and hinged lid arrangement.
Nakamura, U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,080, discloses a number of resealable dispenser containers, most of which are made entirely from a flexible film. These all-film containers provide some advantages, such as their low cost to manufacture, but at the same time create considerable difficulties when trying to provide a pop-up dispenser which allows removal of a tissue with the use of only one hand. As explained above, one-handed removal of a tissue can be very important, especially when the tissue is being used for an infant which typically must be held or supported with one hand. This leaves only one hand free for opening the container and removing the tissue. Soft, thin, flexible film containers, however, are not designed for one-handed removal of the tissues. First, because they are made form a flexible film material, they cannot alone provide a well or recess in the top surface for pop-up removal and air-tight storage of a top portion of the next dispensed tissue in such a recess. Second, these flexible film containers do not provide a rigid or semi-rigid surface on which to rest the side of one's hand for easy opening with one hand. Thus, attempts at one-handed tissue removal will place undue pressure on the other tissues beneath the hand as the hand is pressed down on the dispenser.
In one embodiment of Nakamura, U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,080, a separate body part is provided which can be formed from a molded plastic material. However, the main body portion, which includes an opening therein, is still made from a film material and therefore also suffers the shortcoming of not being able to provide a rigid dispensing well for pop-up dispensing for storage of a top portion of the next dispensed tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,493 to the present applicant discloses a recloseable dispenser packet for moisture impregnated towelettes employing a resealable closure whereby the packet may be opened and thereafter closed to maintain the packet in a hermetically sealed condition. This dispenser is particularly useful for storing a small number of towelettes convenient for carrying in a pocket or purse. However, like U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,080 to Nakamura, this container does not provide for pop-up dispensing of the towelettes.
Duhy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,045, discloses a rigid container, in which the container is covered by a cover sheet followed by a removable inner lid.
Wilson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,680, discloses another dispensing container, in this case including adhesive foil covering an opening, followed by thermal formed lid and adhesive substrate for closing same.
Nakamura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,007, discloses yet another resealable package having a jar-like container with a screw top closure. This patent also discloses a container with a flat top formed from a rigid, semi-rigid or flexible material with a resealable flap affixed thereto. This patent is particularly directed to the use of liquid barrier sheets interposed in the stack between the wet absorbent sheets.
Finally, Deflander et al., International Publication No. WO93/17933, recognizes the desirability of providing a dispensing device which permits one-handed usage. However, in this case the patentees disclose the use of a flexible pouch 5 within a rigid container 3, with a lid 12, and in which means such as tapes 27, 29, and velcro 37 are provided to anchor the pouch within the container, or to anchor the container to a flat surface.
All of the aforementioned containers have, in one way or another, failed to provide a dispenser that meets the needs, expectations and hopes of consumers, especially parents who simply do not want to face insurmountable challenges to their dexterity when trying to open a dispenser and retrieve moist tissues with only one hand, and also furthermore wish to do so on a financially reasonable basis. Thus, these past dispensers have not succeeded in providing a low-cost, simply-constructed, recyclable, disposable, pop-up, wet tissue dispenser, which is capable of being opened and resealed with one hand, tissues removed, and resealed with a single hand so as to allow free use of the other hand.